The Making of A Hitman (Short Story 1)
by cotnut
Summary: What would you do if you discovered at a young age that the life you were raised in was a lie? What happens when a child running an errand for his mother stumbles upon his hero murdering a man in front of his eyes at the tender age of fourteen be?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N- To all of my followers that have favorited me and followed along with my other stories I hope you will give this Original Story a chance. At the end of December 2013, a very dear friend introduced me to role play and I created some characters on Facebook. My initial characters were those of Demetri from the Twilight series as well as an Original Character. Fast forward to March 2014, I was asked to create a character to play with for someone else's story line as a temporary role, knowing that that man would be killed off. As I loved the thrill of writing stories, I gave it a go and created this character Rafael Mosqueda. Little did I know that he would take on such a life of his own. Needless to say, people fell in love with his personality and charm, so the initial role play plot was scrapped and a new one was formed. _**  
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_This short story is his beginnings. The quotes that his mother said were actually role played between myself and a very talented woman who at this point wishes to remain unlisted. If she decides to create an authors name on here I will update the name and add it. This is only one of the stories that we had in play. Sadly with the way that facebook has cracked down on role play most of our stories were lost but a few we managed to salvage and move over to RPL (Roleplay lives) where we are still currently creating story lines with these wonderful characters. I do hope you enjoy. _

_If you are wondering who the face claim (or avatar) that was used as inspiration for Rafael look up the actor William Levy and there you will see my inspiration. Mama is that of Gloria Estefan._

**Chapter 1**

To know my story you need to know of my beginnings. I was born in Cuba in 1980 to Rogelio and Isabel Mosqueda and in 1983 my papi, mama and I made our way to the United States to begin a new life, a better life than we could ever have hope for in Cuba. There is no denying that it opened many doors and avenues I would have never considered. It was a better life, but like everything in life it had two sides; a legal and illegal side. I was not aware of the illegalities that were so closely connected to my family until I was fourteen. It was until that age that I thought that my papi's business, Mosqueda Repossession was a repossession company that reclaimed boats, cars, motorcycles, etc. Not that it served a darker purpose: murder for hire. Once you see a man killed by your hero, your father, your life irrevocably changes.

Fall 1998.

I was counting down until the school year was over. Senior year could not end fast enough and it just had begun. I had done a lot of growing up throughout the four years of high school. It all started in the fall of 1995, my freshman year when I saw Papi kill that man.

Mama was so upset about it. Hell so was Papi. There were very few times that I had ever seen him cry. I could count on one hand as a matter of fact. This was one of those times. After that man crumbled to the ground I screamed while I collapsed to my knees and threw up everywhere. Papi came running towards me and I could not get on my feet fast enough and ended tripping over myself. All I saw in my mind was the gun at the man's temple then the man crumbled like an accordion and then he was running at me with the gun in his hands. "I'm sorry, so sorry, don't hurt me!" I yelled out, my hands folding over my head hoping that they would protect my head from a bullet. That was when he dropped the gun and pulled me into his arms crying.

I remember that afternoon after Mama had Sofia and I came into the hospital room. I was so nervous to be around him. I am not sure when Mama realized that I discovered what papi did for a living, but I do know that it was that day. I am unsure if it was based on my actions or if he told her; but I do remember crawling up on the hospital bed with her and crying. I knew that my life was never going to be the same from that point on.

Mama still to this day feels that she "ruined my life the day that she went into labor with my sister Sofia." She knew where my papi would be. He had told her locations but no other details since it had gotten close to time for her to deliver Sofia. Looking back, she still doesn't know who else she could have sent besides me. She still to this day says that "she would take it all back in a heartbeat, if she could." Now I am very happy that she did.

I knew mama was not happy about my knowing of the true business that brought them here to the states. She had hoped I would not find out until I was out of high school. After I got over the fact that people were killed, I was in awe of Papi. He became a greater hero to me than he was before. I wanted to be just like him.

Papi on the other hand, seemed almost relieved that I found out. He had been training me since I showed an interest in his job. During my first two years of high school, I was the timid, scrawny assed kid that would rather hide under the bleachers, always in the background observing everything. Papi said it was for the best in the beginning. As the years progressed he started to teach me how to be aware of everything and look for the details that others would overlook and deem not important. Those were the details that would save your life and make a clean kill he said.

The count down until graduation had begun around the beginning of my junior year so I could start helping Papi with more in both business worlds. He worked with me on every free moment that I had. I excelled at school with over a 4.0 GPA as I wanted to be the best in everything I could be.

Cue Mama hounding me to go off to college. Not just any college but one out of state and away from Florida and that of the family businesses. I remember the fighting with her at the table over it. She insisted that I go. Papi ultimately did what mama wanted, I am not sure if it was to just stop her from nagging or just to have her let the topic go. He knew that I had my heart set on coming to work with him and expand the business.

My parents rarely fought, but this was one fight that had continued throughout the years. Mama made one final push to convince me that there was a better life out there so she demanded that I attend college, and far away from Florida. We're sitting in our kitchen with a whole table full of college brochures and applications spread out in front of us. Mama sighed, picking up one for a college here in Florida. "Rafael! Dios mio! Will you not listen? I want you to pick a college away from here, mi hijo. Please?" She picked up the one for the local Florida college and crumpled it, tossing it in the waste basket.

"Why do I have to go to college away from here? Hell Papi didn't even go to college. He has two successful businesses. What do I need these others for?" I gestured to the pamphlets on the table. "I can go to the one just down the road and still be home to help him and you!" I knew what she was doing and why she was doing it, didn't mean I had to like it. "Mama por favor! Let me stay here." I pushed the pamphlets for other colleges out of the way. "I don't want these!" Sofia came into the kitchen with her doll in hand and climbed up on mama's lap.

"Sofia no, no doll time ahora. We are busy. Go bug someone else!" Mama gave me the stink eye and used a stern voice "You watch your language, joven. You are not too big me to smack yet." She then softened her voice sighing, "Mi hijo...you know how bad I want you to go to college. I want a better life for you. I want more for you. You...you are my future. This family's future. You and Sofia. I want you two to have a better than...than this. I don't want you mixed up in that side of the business. I have never have, and I never will."

She pulled Sofia into her lap when she came in and reached over to smack my arm at the way I spoke to her. "Hey, don't take your anger at me out on your sister. She's done nothing to you." I refused to wince at the smack. I would take it like man. Hell I don't think she will ever stop smacking me. I remember my abuela whacking papi a few years before he died. "Why not just further away in Florida, just a couple hours away from home. That way if you need me I am still here?"

Mama planted a kiss on Sofia's cheek while I sighed at how mama coddled her. "You take baby into your room and put her down for a nap. Mama will come play with you in a little bit." Mama smiled at her when she ran off sticking her tongue out at me on the way to her room. Once she had left the room, mama pulled the pamphlets back over in front of us. "Rafael, please...just look at them. I'm not asking you to go all the way across the country. Just go a couple of states over. Please, mi hijo...for me. For mama. Just look at them with me."

"Mama I get why you want me to go. But what if I want to join in on this? I cannot unsee what I have seen. Yes I was scared but I am older now. It doesn't scare me anymore. I want to be like Papi, I want to work with him, next to him. Can you imagine how much safer he would be with me around?" I got up and get a soda, coming back to the table and turning the chair around straddling it, chest to the back of the chair.

Mama sighed and shook her head and she reached over to lay her hand on my arm when I came back to the table from getting my drink. "Mi hijo, your papi can take care of himself...and he always keeps your sister and I out of that side of things. We will be fine. Por favor, mi hijo. Please, Rafael. Can't you at least look at some of them with me?" She frowned at the look she was getting from me and squeeze my arm gently. "Mi hijo, I know you can't unsee what you've seen...and I will never forgive myself for that. Never. I blame myself every day for sending you to find Rogelio that day. Every day, mi hijo. Can't you please just look at them for me to ease my guilt some? Please Rafael?"

My hand was placed on top of hers and I nodded. "I do not mean to make you feel guilt mama. If you want me to, then I will. But I do not want arguments with you when I am done and I want to join in the family business. Can we agree to that por favor? My only request is that I am within driving distance of home is that alright with you? Can we also please agree to that? I do not want to be all the way on the other side of the country. If, if something were to happen to you and Papi, hell even Sofia, I need to be able to get here right away and I do not want to have to wait for a plane and spend all day on it. That is important to me."

A quick intake of breath to get out the last of my requests knowing that she could veto it. "So no further than Texas, please." I push about half of the brochures off the table and onto the floor. My hand waved over the remaining applications. "Here with these, choose. I don't care. You tell me where to apply and I will get the applications out in the mail this weekend."

My mama shook her head when she spoke of her guilt. "You do not make me feel guilt. It is my guilt, mi hijo. Mine. Never think that I blame you or that you make me feel it. I fully own the responsibility." She sighed at my first request. "I don't want to agree to it, and I won't...not fully anyway. I will agree that I will try not to argue with you if you still want to go into that side of the family business after you GRADUATE college. I won't argue with you at all if you only want to go into the repossession side of things. I will have no problem with that once you have your education. Can you agree to that?"

"As for your second request, I can agree on the driving distance thing. I will give you the victory on that one, mi hijo. No further than Texas...but know that I'm going to pick one there if you leave it up to me. I'm going to get you as far away from us as possible...despite the ache it will cause in my heart to have you there." She reached over and cupped my cheek in her hand. "I love you, mi hijo. I only want the absolute best for you. I'm not trying to be mean. I just want you to get a good education. Education is important. It will take you far in life."

-Flash forward—

I did leave it up to Mama and she chose Texas A&M University. I knew my grades were good enough and my SAT scores were high enough so I did not bother applying anywhere else. Perhaps there was that little part of me that had hoped that I would not be accepted and I would have to attend a Junior College down the street.

Those hopes were dashed when the acceptance letter came in the mail. I knew that a small envelope was a rejection one and the big one was a congratulations your ass got in type of situation. So when Mama came in waving the big envelope, well, I knew my ass was going to Texas. Better ready to practice the y'alls and all y'alls.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was graduation day from high school June 1999.

I was not prepared for the end of high school to hit. It's not that I was sad to see it over, I just can say that I could see how I have grown and changed from that scrawny kid barely one hundred pounds to a solid one fifty with muscles.

There were a lot of firsts that happened over high school. The first time I saw a man killed to my first kiss. The most memorable moments for me were days I was able to help Papi with the Mosqueda Repossession Company side of the business and helping Mama in the kitchen. In between my studying of course. I loved listening to both of them talk about stories in Cuba that I couldn't remember from growing up as we left when I was three. I think I remember chickens from there and a tree but hell it is chickens and a tree. You can find that shit anywhere.

"Hijo! Va aqui!" I hear being called from down the hall.

"Coming Papi. I'm having trouble with my tie!"

He laughed as he came in, turning me towards him. "Hijo you are doing it wrong." He came and stood behind me and showed me how to do it slowly. "I am proud of you son. You are the first to make it through high school and now onto college. I know you wanted to start with me right away but I will still be here. Then your mama can't complain too much, it was part of the agreement.. no?"

He turned me around to face him and he finished adjusting the knot. "Perfecto! Come I have something for you." He led me into the office and went to the safe behind the painting.

"I am proud of you. You have studied hard and learned so much that I have taught you. I want you to have this." He put out a new glock and presented it to me. "You are old enough and ready for this hijo!" I got up and gave him a hug. "This is my promise to you that you will be able to join me when you are done with college. When you come home during breaks, I will teach you to shoot this, ok?"

I grinned from ear to ear.

"I am going to keep it in the safe for now, but when you come home we will train! Now va a su mama. She wants to see you before we leave to the ceremony. Hijo she is having a hard time. This is the only time I am going to say this and if you tell her I told you, I will deny everything. Comprende?" When I nodded my head at him he continued on "Your mama hated choosing the college for you, and it has almost killed her to send you so far away. You make sure to call often or I cannot guarantee she will not be at your door. The day you got your acceptance letter, she went straight to the church after celebrating and thanked God and the Virgin Mary for granting her request to get you to go to college and into the only one you applied for. Si hijo, we both know that you only applied to the one, do not think that you pulled one over on us."

I gave him a hug. "I love you Papi, gracias!" As he was locking up the gun back in the safe I went to find Mama. "Mama where are you?"

She stepped out into the hall after helping Sofia get dressed for my graduation. She sent Sofia down the hall as she stepped out and I instantly saw her eyes water. She was always breaking down. I even started the chant in my head 'three, two, one.. cue the tears.' Just like that they were there. "Oh, mi hijo...so handsome. Just like your papi." She took my hand and led me down the stairs and into the kitchen.

I always had to chuckle that Mama still spoke in so much Spanish. I think she gave up on me speaking it all together and is happy enough when there is still a word thrown in here and there. After I followed her into the kitchen which I always think of as mama's spot. She was always in there for as long as I could remember making dishes made from the heart.

"Ven. Venga conmigo." Once I was seated at my seat at the table, she came back putting the gift in my hand. "Here, this is for you, mi hijo. I know we don't have a lot of people in this country for you to invite to graduation. I wanted to make up for that. I know you will need all of it when you go off to college." She began to choke up "Ay...college. Thank you, mi hijo. Thank you for agreeing to do this for me." Confused I looked at what she was handing me. When I saw that it was cash, and what she said, I put it down and went to her, my now six foot frame dwarfing hers. "Mama don't be sorry, you have given me everything and more. Thank you for asking me to do this. I know I have fought you, but I am excited for it now. I love you!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

-Flash forward—_Junior Year of College June 2002_

"Mama! ¿dónde está? I'm home!" I threw my luggage down in the entranceway and took a deep breath of air. I could smell my favorite dishes cooking. Man I was hungry. It seemed like all I was doing was eating now and that dorm food was fucking shit!

Sofia came barreling in showing me her missing teeth in her giant smile she got from mama. "I missed you Rafe! You going to take me to the beach like you promised?" "Aye Fifi now get, I need to see mama. I will come play Sorry with you later." She smiled and took off. She was eight now.

"Mama?"

"I'm in here, hijo. Come on in here and get something to eat. I know you must smell it. We can talk while you eat." When I came into the kitchen, I wrapped mama in a giant hug. "Aye mama I missed you and your cooking. The stuff in the dorm is shit." Letting go of her I made my way to all of the pans that were going on the stove top, and lifted up a variety of lids, and stuck my fingers in one. "ouch hot!" I put the finger right in my mouth to stop the burn and sample the food. Smiling at mama I turned and started to rifle through the fridge. "How much longer until the food is ready? I'm starving!" With that I jumped up on the counter. "So what have I missed this year when I have been away? Fill me in on the gossip. How are mis abuelos?"

She grabbed my hand after I burned it and pulled it from my mouth to inspect it. "Ay, mi hijo, patience, patience. You don't look like you're starving despite your complaints about the food. You can wait another few minutes." She must have been satisfied that my finger is okay, as she let it go. The next thing that I knew she pulled out the plantain fritters that must have been cooked before I got home. "Gossip...ha. What makes you think I know any of that stuff?" she chuckled "Let's see. Miss Smith down the street is now Mrs. Black. She married that no account boyfriend of hers. The couple next door, The Bryants, had a new baby girl. Other than that nothing much has happened."

She put the plantain fritters on the counter and nodded. "Go ahead." She sat down on a stool next to me and continued on. "Your abuelos are good mostly. I talked to your papi's mama last week, and she said that his papi's doctor told him that he needed to change his lifestyle-stop smoking, eat better-or he was headed for heart trouble. She said he's being as hard headed as ever, though." With a sigh she then gave me a small smile, "Is it better than dorm food?

"But mama su comida es muy delicioso! Well I can't let myself starve or there would be no strength to come back here and help papi in the office during the summer break." My eyes lit up when I saw the fritters. I know I am a greedy asshole but I couldn't help it. I grabbed two, practically inhaling the first one in one go. "These are the best yet!" Mama beamed at my compliment. "I would not let you starve. I would mail you food every day, if I had to. My boy isn't going to waste away to nothing. You worked hard to get that bulk. We won't let it go anywhere."She laughed when I grabbed the two fritters and eats the first one in almost one bite.

"Ay, slow down, mi hijo! No one is going to take them away from you. I've already given Sofia one, and I sent some to the office with your papi. This batch is all yours. I promise."

I listened to the gossip she is spreading, the most shocking was that Jennifer Smith married that ass. "I used to have such a crush on Jenny." Shaking my head. "I would have thought she had higher standards than that. What about college for her? It's a good thing I never pursued her aye?" Mama just shook her head my when I confessed to having a crush on Jenny. I had no idea what that meant. She almost laughed "Higher standards...ha! I thought her mama taught her better, too. She was such a good kid. She deserved better. She deserved you...or someone of your caliber."

I didn't even acknowledge her comment about babies. Mama loved babies. God help me when I actually bring a woman home. It would be nothing but wondering when she was going to become an abuela. "Once I am done stuffing myself with your food, I will call mis abuelitos in Cuba. I have been bad and not done that lately. Shit I feel guilty now. Yes, once I am done eating I will call them then head to the office and work with Papi for a few hours."

"I think that's a great idea. They ask about you every time we talk to them. I tell them you're doing well. They are so proud of you for finishing high school and going on to college. They all want to come in for your graduation, you know." With a nod at her statement, I took a deep breath smelling all of the scents in the house. "Aye, it smells so good in here. It is good to be home. Working with papi, playing with Sofia, and helping you in the kitchen. It will be a good summer indeed." Mama loved her kitchen and loved cooking spreading her love through her food. "My kitchen always smells good." She winked at me "Your sister is excited to have you home, too. The whole time you've been gone all she's talked about is how much she's missed you, and I've missed my kitchen help, too. Sofia tries, but she ends up making more of a mess than she does helping."

I noticed how she didn't mention anything about me working with papi, but it's okay, I am used to it now. I know she doesn't like it. It's an unspoken agreement in this house that Sofia and I hear nothing about that side of things, and papi and I know it.

Every time I came home to visit with my family I knew that I was always going to be there for them, for my sister, my mama, and my papi. And yet every time I came home and saw the fourteen year age gap between my sister and I, I was unsure how the relationship with us was going to go with such a large age gap in between us. Yes there were trying times when I was younger that I had a hard time understanding and accepting that she was getting more attention than I did and I felt jipped for not having that one on one time that I used to have with mama and papi.

But mama when I was growing up, bless her heart, noticed these things and took me to the side one day as well as papi and told me that nothing changed. They made a conscious effort to schedule time with just me. Mama and I always spent that time in the kitchen which is why I love it so. When I think of her, it is always in the kitchen and the love that poured forth from it.

Papi and I had the different experiences and time together; that was spent in his office. He would close the door and talk to me about his feelings of why he killed and what made him okay with it, what he would share with mama "poco es bueno, y nada is mejor!" (Little is good and nothing is better). He would tell me that women should never know the fine details of this line of work unless it was a matter of life and death for them.

When I went away to college I had decided to major in business. I knew I was going to take over at least one if not both of the family professions and I wanted to make sure that I knew all the nuances that could possibly affect the bottom line. Any improvements that could be made, I wanted to make sure were made. So it was during my breaks home that I found a routine of spending time with Sofia, mama in the kitchen, and papi at the office.

This summer I was given reign of the company books and learned how to hunt down the stolen cars, yachts, and planes based upon strategy and intel. Afternoons on Monday's and Wednesday's would find me in Papi's office with the door closed and he showed me his books on his hits and how he was contacted and what was required. I was horrified and fascinated at the same time as well. I now knew the basics of the operation but was horrified at the lack of technology he implemented and how he left himself so wide open for infiltration. It was something that I made a goal to improve on.

In college I took many electives and got to know quite a few of the computer nerds around campus. They became good buddies of mine and they loved the food care packages that mama would send. My computer skills I learned from them. I was at least skilled enough that I was able to formulate a decent program code to protect papi. I would need to talk to him about paying some of them to tighten up the security system even more, but for now, late hours were spent after the house went silent improving things for papi. Then in the mornings I would teach him what I had done.

He was so proud of me.

The summer flew by quickly between memories with mama in the kitchen, time spent with Sofia in the pool and the parks, and time worked with Papi. Before I knew it, it was time to go back to Texas for my final school year.

After giving Papi and Sofia a hug, they stepped back to give Mama and I a chance to say goodbye. I had a full school year of courses planned packed with as many electives as I could. Although the plan was for me to come home over the major holidays that would be it until I moved home after graduation. I leaned into mama and gave her one of my hugs that always dwarfed her frame and whispered in her ear. "Gracias por todo. You pushing for me to go to school was one of the best things that you could have ever done for me. I appreciate that now. I love you."

I climbed in my car and took off with one last look in the mirror, looking at Papi with his arm around mama and Sofia waving from the front porch steps. Senior year of college here I come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

End of May - Senior Year of College 2003

I had just finished my last final and I knew I aced the class. I fucking knew it. Mama, my sister, and mis abuelos were going to fly from Miami to Texas tomorrow afternoon in order to have time to rest and relax before my college graduation ceremony. The whole family was looking forward to it. I was busy packing up the last of my dorm shit to have ready to throw into the car for the final drive home to Miami. There was not much that remained as I had taken home the majority of the items over winter break. My phone rang and when caller ID showed that it was mama I answered the phone. "Hola mama." I could tell that something was wrong instantly by the muffled tears and the sound of her voice. "My son...oh, my sweet son. Your father is...he...he's dead, Rafael. Your father is gone, my love. Mi hijo ... oh, mi dulce hijo. Su padre es ... él ... él está muerto, Rafael. Su padre se ha ido, mi amor. (What mama says when she's telling Rafael: My son...oh, my sweet son. Your father is...he...he's dead, Rafael. Your father is gone, my love.)

It was one of those moments where the world came to a screeching halt. I could hear mama on the phone but it was as if I was in a walking dreamlike state. Blink. Breathe. I reached over and grabbed my computer, my car keys, and hollered at my roommate to take what was left. I had no need for it now. There was only one purpose and that was to get home.

Eighteen hours of drive time dissolved into a black hole. I was not aware of where I was, what I was wearing, I just knew the direction to go home. Three times I had to pull over for gas, my movements I could only assume robotic as thoughts and memories of times spent with my father flashed through my head. The summer we went to Disneyland when I was ten years old and riding the Matterhorn over and over again. The annual fishing trip we went on for the swordfish. The horror stories he would tell me when the hurricanes blew in. Boy Scouts, sporting events, sparring matches. All circulated in my head on a loop in almost a frenzied cycle. At some point in the drive home my tears stopped falling, my voice harsh from screaming, and it clicked. I was going to go after that fucking bastard and kill him for what he had done to my father.

There was a purpose now, I had a fucking purpose. The rest of the drive I heard the lessons that my father bestowed upon me on loop in my head. 'Gather all of your facts, have an alibi, leave no loose threads, do not allow yourself to be made.' These and many more were on loop and I swore I could hear him whispering in my ear with his hand on my shoulder.

My car came to a screeching halt as I slammed on the breaks in the driveway. I barreled in the house past mama and mis abuelos. I was not, could not, get stuck down there with them in the room of tears where they had to cling to each other for support for I had a job to do and I was not going to let mama dissuade me. I could hear mama following after me and up the stairs. "Hijo! Por favor hijo!" I went straight into papi's office and slammed the door where I threw the lock and went to the safe. The combination of my birthday and my sisters was entered and the door swung open.

My glock, the one that papi gave me was sitting on top of all his important records that would help me find the fucking bastard that did this to him. Mama kept coming to the door pounding on it to let her in. There was a rotating cycle between her, mis abuelos, and even my sister. I had to tune them out, it cut me deeply as I had never defied them until now, but if I was going to do it, it was going to be for something fucking big. And this was big. The day bled into the night and into the next day. When I did leave the solace of the office I used the skills that papi taught me to move through the house silently.

Finally it was time. All the information that I needed was at hand.

Silently I made my way into mama's room and covered her with the blanket. She was on papi's side of the bed clutching his pillow tightly. Next to her I placed a note that read. "I love you and I WILL be at the funeral. Do not wait for me." After I left her room I snuck down the hall to my sister's room where I opened the door. Sofia was curled up tightly around the bear that papi had given her. Just as I had with mama I went to her and covered her up and then I sat down on the bed saying a silent prayer to give her comfort and protection while I was away. It was time for me to step up and become the man of the family now. I would too, bills, clothing, food, etc. They were not going to worry about nada as long as I was alive. The prayer was finished and I made my way out of the room.

It was time to seek retribution.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5. **

It took me a couple of days to find the man that killed my father and properly stake him out. I used my age to help hide me. People did not think much of a kid wearing a hoodie and a beanie on their head with large headphones on their ears. It also seemed that the fucking older you got the more you tended to let down your guard when you think that you were in the clear. Papi always said that when you let your guard down that is when you will be taken out if you were not expecting it. I could not help but wonder was he so distracted by me coming into the business in just a few days that it led to his demise?

This man was fucking predictable. It only took me a couple of days to get his routine down. I stayed off the radar, no credit cards being used. I slept in my car, stayed away from high profile areas with cameras and waited for the appropriate time. Then one evening he was alone. He left the Italian restaurant in New Jersey and rounded the back of the building and made his way to the now busted out streetlight. He climbed in his unlocked car and drove off towards his house with me on the floorboard of his car.

Papi had spent the last couple of summers talking me through how he did his kills and the life lessons he learned from them. The most important being to learn to engage your inner switch that allowed you to turn off your emotions and focus to get the job done. Only once the job is completed would it be acceptable to resume life. My switch was thrown, or so I had thought.

A few miles from the city I sat up and placed the barrel of the Glock to his head. "Pull over." What choice did the man really have with the barrel at his temple? I had one goal and one goal in mind as we made our way off the road and into the wooded turnout. "Hand me your keys." When he did I climbed over the seat of the Cadillac and reached down to his right leg and pulled out the gun with my gloved hand that he kept there. "Now get out".

The night sky was illuminated by the pale moon light. The light was filtering through the trees casting shadows upon the ground. He frantically began to search for an escape but my six foot frame dwarfed his five foot five frame. "Move." I guided him towards a low lying tree. When we came to it I threw him a rope. "Tie your feet." When he hesitated I raised his gun and shot one of his feet. The scream that escaped his lips echoed throughout the trees. In a monotonous tone "Scream all you want there is no one around for miles that will hear you. Now tie up your fucking feet and we will see about you living. I need to have a chat with you."

Through the screams of his pain, he managed to push himself upright and tie his feet together. I took the end of the rope that was not attached to his feet and threw it up and over the tree and used the tree as leverage, and began to pull him up into the air. When he was at the ideal height for me to talk to, the end of the rope was tied around the trunk of a tree. I made my way to the ground in front of him where I sat down with my legs crossed and my eyes locked with the man that was hanging upside down. "You look like a fucking piñata." A smirk formed on my lips as I rolled up the sleeves on my sweatshirt. "Do you know who I am?" The man looked at me, blood running down his beige pant leg. "No I do not" he said.

A mock laugh escaped my lips. "Does my Cuban accent sound that much different than that of my father's?" A gasp left his lips with a "No." "Si you bastard. You killed my papi and now I am seeking his retribution." I leaned forward and looked at him and he spat in my face. I reached into my back pocket and grabbed one of my father's handkerchiefs and brought it up to my face wiping it off. Once it was gone, I stood up, holstered the gun behind my back, and began to pound the ever living shit out of him. He had just become my own personal piñata. There were times that my fist connected with his oversized gut, other times his face. The crunching sound of my knuckles meeting his face was satisfying. At some point he was bloody and very broken. The groans from his lips had lessened as he fought to remain conscious.

It was only due to my desire to have him alert later that I cut him down from the tree. Once he was laid out on the ground, I continued to pummel him with my hands, feet, and the handle of my gun. You see here is where the problem was: it appeared that my switch was stuck and I had allowed my emotions and memories to sink in. It was due to this that I found myself wasting a few hours as I played with him, making him suffer for what he did to my father. It was personal.

At some point logic returned to me and I saw this man that was barely holding onto his consciousness and realized I had a long way to go home and a funeral I had to attend. I pulled out the Glock and standing above him aimed the gun between his two eyes. I froze I knew that this was the precipice and once I did this, there was no going back. Ever. A groan from the man. A deep breath in. Hold. Count to three. One, two, three. The switch was fully thrown. My finger squeezed the trigger and his twitching body was stilled. I screamed. Screamed for the loss of my father and shot off even more rounds into his body emptying the gun into his chest and around his heart.

I fell backwards and scrambled in a crab walk away from the body. I brought my hand up to my body realizing what it was that I had done. My knees were brought up to my chest, my chin resting on my knees, my eyes staring into this vacant dead ones. That is when another lesson from my father filtered into my head 'the most important one' he said. 'Never leave any evidence behind.' I looked to the ground and realized that my gun was the one that I had used. It was registered to me. "Fuck."

My hand went into my pocket and retrieved the pocket knife. I flipped open the blade and made my way back over to the lifeless corpse where I flipped him over with my gloved hand and I started to dig out the 17 rounds that I emptied into the bastard. All seventeen were accounted for and then I dragged his ass to the front seat of his car where I doused him in lighter fluid that I had stored under the front seat. With a flick of the strike anywhere match I threw it on his body along with my gloves and sweatshirt. I watched the car and his body engulf in flames enjoying knowing he would not touch my family again.

Numb, I turned and began to walk down the still darkened roads to the safety of my car that I had hidden in the back of someone's vacation home. Once in the car the drive that would normally take sixteen hours home began. It turned into a near twenty four hour drive for the amounts of time I had to pull over expelling my stomach contents or dry heaves along the way and the constant shuffling of cars using the fake ids I already had acquired. I returned the rental car in North Carolina, then the one in South Carolina, and then got into my car, my real car in Georgia completing the drive home.

Eight am on the day of my father's funeral I walked into the eerily quiet house knowing that my family was already at the funeral home to have their last moments alone with papi. I climbed the stairs and went into his office, each step taking herculean effort. My emotions were gone and I was lost in a void. I opened the cabinet where he kept his gun cleaning kit where I spread it out upon his desk on top of the towel he always used. Meticulously I cleaned all aspects of the gun making sure that there was no residue left showing that it had been discharged. Once it was cleaned I stood up and made my way to the safe, keying in the code. The gun placed in it, the door closed. A couple of the bullets from the kill would be turned into cufflinks to always remind me of this day. The rest were scattered on the drive home. Robotically and zombie like I went through the motions of getting ready. Shave, shower, and get dressed in a suit. I made my way to my papi's closet where I grabbed one of his ties. One heavy foot in front of another, I made my way down the stairs to my car on auto pilot.

I pulled up in front of the church. Breathe in. Hold. Release. I can do this. I have to do this. I am the man of the house now. The door to my car slammed behind me as I took the stairs up to the church. The sounds of Ave Maria filtered out to my ears. The casket was up at the altar. Family and friends were gathered, the church filled to capacity for a man they thought they knew.

One step. The stoicism I had held onto until the point dissolved with each step that I took towards the casket. At the highest crescendo of the song, I collapsed on my knees in front of the casket unable to hold back the torrent of emotions anymore.

I had sought retribution and solidified my path in this life, I was officially Rafael Mosqueda, hitman for hire.

~End~

A/N- Please follow along with the next story in the series. Just Another Day.


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